Car-coupling.



No. 730,919. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903. G. 0. HARLIN. GAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1902.

N0 MODEL. BSHEETS-SHEBT-l.

PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

u i AW G. G. HARLIN. GAR COUPLING.

n FILED SEPT. 25. 1902 No. 730,910. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

G. 0. HARLIN.

GAR COUPLING.

, APPLICATION FILED SEPT.'26, 1902.

vN0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented June 16,1903.

PATENT O EIcE.

' GEORGE c. HARLIN, OF SEATTLE,-WASHINGTON.

CAR-COUPLING.

- SPEoIFiCATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No; 730,91O,datedJune"16, 1903.

' Applicationfiled$eptomber 25,1 902. Serial 110.124.875 (Nomads!) Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. HARLIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State ofWVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-couplers, and particularly to those knownas the Master Oar-Builders coupler now in general use.

The object of the invention is to produce a coupler having a latchcoacting with a shoulder of the draw-head, whereby the knuckle is lockedin engagement with the knuckle of the opposite head and whereby the saidknuckle is prevented fromturning on its pivot except when the latch isdisengaged.

Futhermore, the object resides in the provision of a locking connectionbetween the upper wall of the coupler-head and the knuckle, whereby theaction of the latch serves to wedge the knuckle into engagement with thelocking means, thereby aifording-another means for holding the knucklein the draw-head.

Furthermore, the objectof the invention is to produce means whereby thelatch may be disengaged from its shoulder and held disen-. gaged untilthe cars are drawn apart and uncoupled.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to produce a guide overwhich the latch is swung during the movement of the knuckle, and it isthe purpose of the invention to hold said latch on an approximatelyhorizontal plane in order that a minimum amount of wear will result. Aweb or flange is provided in the horn or guide-iron of the coupler-headto act as a support for the latch when the knuckle has been swung to theoutward limit.

A further object of the invention is to produce a novel and easilyapplied and removed latch with means for causing it toengage the knuckleand prevent its disengagement.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the carsare uncoupled in case the draw-bar is released from the car, the partsbeing arranged so that any separation of the cars beyond a predetermineddistance will result in disengaging the latch and shoulder andpermitting the cars to uncouple in order that the draw-bar may not bedrawn out to fall on the track and wreck a train.

. A further object is to produce a coupler in which the engagement ofthe latch and the shoulder occurs below the pulling-line, thus servingto wedge the rear of the knuckle against the roof of the coupler-head,insuring a firm engagement between the latch and shoulders and giving'adownward tendency to the latch when a pullis exerted.

WViththe foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists inthe details of construction and in the arrangement and combination ofparts .to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail refer ence will be had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,wherein likecharacters denote corresponding parts in the several" views, and inwhich- Figure -1 is a plan view of a coupler-head in relation to thecar. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionaliview thereof, with the knuckle andlatch in plan. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3.0f Fig. 2.Fig.4: is a sectional view on the line 4 at of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the knuckle. perspective .view. of the latch. Fig. 7is a view similar to Fig. 2, with a modified means of supportingthe'latch' and connecting the latch and knuckle. Fig. 8 is a view inelevation looking at the end of the latch and knuckle. Fig. 9 is a planview, partly in section, showing the modified connection between thelatch and knuckle.

In the drawings, A denotes the draw-bar, and B the draw-head. Thedraw-head has a shoulder C on its lower inner wall, which terminatesunder the guide D, said guide D extending around the inner rear wall ofthe draw-head and forming a support for the latch. A web E is providedin the point of the horn of the draw-head on the same plane as the guideI), and there is a small space between the guide and web for theaccommodation of the chain F, which operates through the aperture G ofthe draw-head. A knuckle II is secured in the draw-head by the pin I,and the knuckle is provided with a shank J, which is preferably providedwith a fillet j in order to give strength to the same. The rear end ofthe knuckle is provided with a lug a, which engages a similar lug b onthe wall of the coupler when the knuckle is in operative po- Fig. 6 is asition; but the lug of the knuckle swings clear of the lug of thedraw-head when the knuckle moves on its pivot. The rear end of theknuckle is also provided with a flange c, which is engaged by theshoulder d of the latch when said latch is engaging the shoulder (J, asshown in dotted lines, Fig. at. The upper edge of the latch is providedwith a surface e, designed to be engaged by the retaining-pin f when thelatch is thrown up by the operation of the lever g, to which the chainis connected.

' may be thrown up by an operator, and the opsame is released from thepin, it engages the guide and rides thereover until it passes to theweb, where it is supported with the knuckle fully open until set by anoperator.

. arrangement prevents undue wear on the latch and produces an easyoperation, for in the absence of the web the end of the latch wouldswing over the end of the guide and considerable friction would resultfrom its being drawn up over the end of the guide again.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the solid guide is dispensed withand a series of lugs 11 are provided over which the latch may ride. Inthis modification the connection between the latch and knuckle is alsomodified in that the latch is provided with a flange 12, and the knucklehas a shouldered extension 13, which embraces and engages the flange'when the latch is in operative position.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I provide a further modification of the connectionmeans in which the end of the knuckle is socketed, as shown at 14L, andthe latch is provided with a shank 15, having a lug 16, which isdesigned to pass within the end of the knuckle and turned in order thatit may engage the shoulder 17.

A curved rib 18 is provided on the head, as shown in Fig. 7, which isdesigned to engage a lug 19 on the latch to hold the latch on theknuckle.

The outside of the top of the coupler is'pro vided with two ribs 93,extending into a crossrib y, and the cross-rib is formed integral with asingle longitudinally-rlisposed rib z. This arrangement is to receivethe bumper on the car and to compensate for the added length to thedraw-head to make them the same distance apart as the other couplerwhich does not have the knuckle of increased length.

The said knuckle is made long to increase the leverage and reduce thewear on the latch and its shoulder by reducing the strain.

The operating-rod is slidable transversely of the car, and the arm towhich the chain is connected engages a bracket (R, which is at- By thisarrangement the latch When the latch has tached to the car. The upperend of the bracket a has a double inclined end a over which the arm ofthe operating-rod may ride. When the arm is thrust to the right-handside of the bracket, the chain is held taut and the latch cannot engagethe shoulder and lock the latch or the shank of the coupler breaks orin.

case both of the lugs of the coupler break off; or, if wanted, theknuckle can be removed and by inserting a pin in the hole 71 of theheadthe shank of any kind in common use that will fit in the draw-headmay be held in operative position as a makeshift.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- This 1. In a car-coupler, a draw-headhaving a shoulder on its inner lower wall and a guide and web on itsrear inner wall and on the horn of the guide-iron, a knuckle and latch,

a chain working through the coupler-head between the guide and web, thesaid chain being connected to the car and to the latch in order torelease the latch on any separation of the cars beyond a predetermineddistance, a pin for holding the latch elevated and means whereby thechain may hold the latch elevated substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler, a draw-head having a shoulder on its inner lowerwall and a guide and web on its rear inner wall and on the horn of theguide-iron, a knuckle and latch,

a chain working through the coupler-head between the guide and web, thesaid chain being connected to the car and to the latch in order torelease the latch on any separation of the cars beyond a predetermineddistance, a pin for holding the latch elevated and means whereby thechain may hold the latch elevated and ribs on the outer surface of thedraw-head to receive the bumper for the purpose of strengthening the.distance between the head and end of the draw-bar.

3. In a car-coupler, a draw-head,-a knuckle pivoted therein, a lockin gconnection between the draw-head and knuckle and a latch for holding theknuckle closed, a shoulder against which the knuckle acts, said latchengaging the shoulder below the pulling-line and acting to force theengaging members of the head and knuckle into closer contact as and forthe purpose described.

4. In a car-coupler, adraw-head, a knuckle therein, having a shankprovided with a fillet, alatch pivoted on the shank,interlockingconnections between the knuckle and latch, a guide-rib engaging a flangeon the latch to pre vent disengagement of the latch and knuckle,

an operating-rod on the car having a thrust, In testimony whereof 1affix my signature, an arm thereon, a chain from the arm to the in thepresence of two Witnesses, this 10th day latch, abracket contacting thearm, said chain of September, 1902.

holding the latch elevated when the arm is to GEORGE O. HARLIN; 5 oneside of the bracket and releasing the latch WVitnesses:

When the arm is on the opposite side of the J. Ross COLHOUN,

bracket as and for the purpose described. FRANK S. APPLEMAN.

